KNOM Radio Missionhttp://www.knom.org/wp
96.1 FM | 780 AM | Yours for Western AlaskaTue, 03 Mar 2015 03:52:54 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Story49: Mary Huntingtonhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/11/14/story49-mary-huntington/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/11/14/story49-mary-huntington/#commentsSat, 15 Nov 2014 01:26:38 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=12947This month's Story49 features educator and dancer Mary Huntington. "All the things that I do in classrooms and schools... trying to incorporate culture and language, probably wouldn't have taken place if I didn't start out with Eskimo dance," she says.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2014/11/2014-11-18-story49%20MARY%20HUNTINGTON.mp3

The November episode of Story49 features Mary Huntington, first-year principal of Koyuk-Malimiut School.

Originally from Shishmaref, Mary shares her personal story of reconnecting with her cultural identity through the practice of Eskimo dance. As an experienced educator in Western Alaska, Mary has seen the power of incorporating culture and language studies in schools. Join us on KNOM as she shares her vision for bettering education, bolstering students’ confidence and strengthening communities.

Tune into KNOM on Thursday, November 20that 12:30 p.m. to hear Mary’s story, or listen above!

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/11/14/story49-mary-huntington/feed/5To the Edge of the Continenthttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/29/to-the-edge-of-the-continent/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/29/to-the-edge-of-the-continent/#commentsTue, 30 Sep 2014 00:18:19 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=12070In late August, four of our newly-arrived volunteers went to Wales, Alaska to observe and take part in a beloved annual festival of Alaska Native music and culture.]]>

The region that your support allows KNOM to serve — the rural stretches of Western Alaska — is as vibrant as it is massive, as fascinating as it is remote. Nothing conveys these extremes more than the trips that our volunteers so often take to the isolated villages of KNOM’s AM listening area.

We’re happy to report that, in late August, four of our newly arrived volunteers — Caitlin Whyte, Francesca Fenzi (pictured), Jenn Ruckel, and Courtney Cousins — were able to spend time in the village of Wales. It’s one of the westernmost inhabited places in North America, a place where, on a clear day, you can see the easternmost coastlines of Russia (faintly visible near the horizon in the top photos). Thanks to a sponsorship arrangement with a regional airline, the airfare for this special trip, like almost all of our village travel, was completely free.

News volunteer Francesca on the beach in Wales, Alaska.

Our volunteers’ primary reason for making the journey to Wales — about an hour’s plane ride northwest from Nome — was to attend the Kingikmiut (KING-ick-myoot) Dance Festival, a beloved annual gathering of traditional Alaska Native music and dance ensembles from throughout our region. Per usual, Kingikmiut 2014 was a rich experience and a chance for our crew to record music and gather materials for potential radio productions. Regarding the festival’s dance performances (such as the one pictured), volunteer news reporter Francesca says she was in awe of “how expressive even the smallest gestures can be” and of the “nuance of emotion” conveyed by the festival’s most honored participants — the community elders. But, she also points out, it’s an event for young and old alike: a “multi-generational thing.”

Even outside the confines of the festival, our volunteers had ample opportunity to learn more about Alaska Native culture. They learned to make Alaskan kuspuks, garments somewhat similar to a hooded sweatshirt (but with thinner, colorful cotton calico), by spending time with a visiting teacher at the Wales school. Pictured is Caitlin working on her own kuspuk, which she prepared in the traditional way: by measuring the fabric against her own body frame and then ripping the fabric by hand. A few of our volunteers even got to meet Maligiaq (muh-LEE-gee-ack), an expert builder of traditional kayaks who happened to be visiting Wales from his native Greenland and was (carefully) building a kayak throughout the weekend.

In Wales, volunteer producer Caitlin learns how to make a kuspuk in a traditional method.

Finally, Francesca and Caitlin also had the opportunity to travel to Tin City (pictured below), another coastal community a short distance past Wales. It’s a remote, largely abandoned site with a still-active military base that, during the Cold War, would have been one of America’s closest points of contact with the Soviet Union. In Tin City, where less than 20 people still live, Francesca and Caitlin were able to explore sections of the military installation that are now abandoned, such as the massive, defunct microwave link towering over Caitlin below. (Very similar, Cold-War-era communications towers are still standing in Nome, as well.) This visit is just a reminder of the unique position that rural Alaska once had — and still holds — in America’s larger involvement in the Arctic.

As always, we can’t thank you enough for making possible trips like these. They introduce our volunteers to the incredible region we serve — and vice versa — and are a source of vitality for our mission. Thanks so much.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/29/to-the-edge-of-the-continent/feed/2A Western Alaskan Educationhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/04/15/a-western-alaskan-education/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/04/15/a-western-alaskan-education/#commentsTue, 15 Apr 2014 16:00:51 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=8439Emily attended the Kawerak Regional Conference last week and realized how much she has learned about Alaska Native history and culture over the past nine months. ]]>

People from all over the state attended the conference, including elders, student representatives from the villages in the Bering Straits region, and ambassadors for organizations based in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Various KNOM volunteers went to different events to ensure that a summary of most of the presentations could be included in the next day’s Update News broadcast, and I ran over to the Rec Center after my DJ shift to record music from the Diomede, Nome/St. Lawrence Island, Savoonga, Teller, and King Island drum and dance groups.

The Kawerak Regional Conference was amazing on several levels. First and foremost, it was incredible to see continuing dialogue on topics such as language preservation techniques, specific solutions to promote community healing, and generational communication between elders and youth. Second, it was wonderful on a personal level to be able to keep up with these conversations. The Kawerak Regional Conference served as a kind of check-in for me: how much do I know about the history and cultures of the region? how well versed am I in legislation that affects Western Alaska? how much can I contribute to a working group discussion on historical trauma? The answer to all three of those questions was: more than I thought. Whereas I had sat in the Alaska Federation of Natives convention presentations in October cursing how the lack of Wi-Fi in the Carlson Center prevented me from looking up Katie John, I was actually able to keep up with the Kawerak Regional Conference discussions after just a few short months of attending community meetings, lectures, and cultural events.

I’ve lived in Nome for less than a year, but I’ve learned so much and met so many people in that short time. Thank you to those of you who have spoken so openly with me about regional and Alaska Native culture, history, and goals for the future during my tenure in Nome. I hope to represent these discussions well once I return to the Lower 48.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/04/15/a-western-alaskan-education/feed/0A Musical Break from Race Season Coveragehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/04/a-musical-break-from-race-season-coverage/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/04/a-musical-break-from-race-season-coverage/#commentsTue, 04 Mar 2014 17:00:23 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=7412A couple of weeks ago, an announcement for a fundraiser came up in our Hotline program. Stebbins was hosting an event in anticipation of their upcoming…]]>

A couple of weeks ago, an announcement for a fundraiser came up in our Hotline program. Stebbins was hosting an event in anticipation of their upcoming potluck, and the Clearlake Fiddlers were going to be playing music on Friday and Saturday nights in the community center. As I read the announcement, I had an on-air epiphany: KNOM should broadcast some recordings of regional fiddle music. Three days later, I was on a plane to Stebbins.

This was my first solo overnight trip outside of Nome, and I was pretty nervous. If you survive the plane ride to the village, there are all kinds of logistics to work out for overnight travel. How do you get from the airport to the school? It’s a weekend – what if no one’s in the school to let you in? How will you even find the fiddling event, and how will you get back into the school once the event is over? What if there’s a storm and you can’t make it back to Nome the next day? I’m a planner, and travel in Western Alaska requires a lot of anxiety-inducing flexibility.

It turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about. I survived the plane ride, was generously taken from the airport to the school, and was let in immediately. The principal, Pick, gave me a thorough rundown of all the arrangements. Stebbins even has a bed for visitors to sleep in. It was a beautiful day, despite the wind, and the village glittered in the arctic sun.

Afternoon Sunshine

Toward evening I headed to the Stebbins community center through the windstorm. The fundraiser was so much fun! I had a great time playing peek-a-boo with toddlers, learning about the cost of gasoline for a snowmachiner traveling from Kotlik to Stebbins, listening to foot-stompingly good music, and joining in on some line dancing and cake walking until well after midnight. Thank you to Stebbins for being so incredibly welcoming. I’m really excited to share the Clearlake Fiddlers with the rest of Western Alaska. We’ve got great, diverse music coming out of the region and it’s exciting to be able to bring that music to a wider audience.

The Stebbins potluck and dance festival will be on March 7th and 8th, which is right smack in the middle of Iditarod. I’m sorry I won’t be able to go – it’s all hands on deck at KNOM for the next few weeks – but I’m so glad that I was able to make it to Stebbins for a solo trip at least once. Now, back to race season reporting.

Blowing Snow over Ice

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/04/a-musical-break-from-race-season-coverage/feed/0Gavel-to-gavel for AFN 2013http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2013/11/27/gavel-to-gavel-for-afn-2013/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2013/11/27/gavel-to-gavel-for-afn-2013/#commentsWed, 27 Nov 2013 20:02:08 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=5920In late October, KNOM was proud to present live, “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of one of the most important annual gatherings in the state of Alaska: the Alaska…]]>

In late October, KNOM was proud to present live, “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of one of the most important annual gatherings in the state of Alaska: the Alaska Federation of Natives convention (AFN), which is held each autumn in either Fairbanks or Anchorage.

For the many different Native communities of our state, AFN is an opportunity to gather, to celebrate the unique cultural traditions of Alaska Natives, and to discuss the issues that affect them: from subsistence and hunting rights to tribal management to suicide prevention. This year, KNOM was excited to send two of our staff – news director Laureli Kinneen and volunteer Emily Bieniek – to cover all things AFN.

Emily with artist Moses Wassilie.

Above and below are Emily’s photos of Alaska Native dance performances and of Moses Wassilie (WAH-suh-lee), one of the many artists who showcased his Native artwork at the AFN Art Fair.

Volunteer Josh Cunningham recently took a very special trip as a correspondent for KNOM.

Josh went to the southwestern Alaska city of Bethel for the Cama-i (chuh-MY) Dance Festival, one of the largest and most significant annual cultural celebrations in the state. KNOM regularly sends its full-time volunteers to cover important regional and local events – these “village trips” are a staple of our program – although as Josh describes, his latest travel was unique:

Firstly, to call the experience a “village trip” isn’t entirely correct. After all, the population of Bethel, Alaska is more than double that of Nome. You’ll find within its borders a nationally known chain restaurant, paved roads, and even a stoplight intersection. Like a “normal” KNOM village trip, however, I was there for a very important mission: to collect Native drum and dance music from the annual Cama-i Festival.

Native Alaskan music is a very important part of KNOM’s daily programming. On my afternoon show alone, you can hear several Native songs from communities in our region, like Hooper Bay, St. Lawrence Island, and Unalakleet. I feel it is so important to feature Native songs in this way; at the end of the day, I hope a very special message comes across with these songs. I want people to know how important this music is, how much life and knowledge they hold.

Through your support, special trips like Josh’s continue to touch the lives both of our listeners and of our staff. Thank you for making them possible! (Photo: dancers at the 2013 Cama-i Festival.)

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This article is part of the May 2013 edition of our newsletter, The Nome Static.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2013/04/27/a-special-trip-in-search-of-song/feed/0A Warm Hello.http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2013/04/05/a-warm-hello/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2013/04/05/a-warm-hello/#commentsFri, 05 Apr 2013 15:59:12 +0000http://www.knom.org/blog/wp/?p=3166Bethel is known for its taxi services. In fact, the city is estimated to have one cab for every 84 individuals.

Yet I stood in the blowing snow on Thursday morning outside of the Bethel airport and could not for the life of me figure out how the Taxi system worked in Bethel. Despite my freezing extremities and flight fatigue, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.

My village trip to Bethel was certainly a stand-out experience among my months as a KNOM volunteer. The whole setup was not only fulfilling on a personal level but was in addition to that, strangely off beat from the rest of my time as a volunteer. First off, to call my experience a village trip isn’t entirely correct. Afterall Bethel, Alaska is composed of a population that more than doubles that of Nome. You’ll find within its borders a nationally known chain restaurant, hardware stores, paved roads, and even a stoplight intersection if you really look for it. Not unlike a normally ordained KNOM village trip, I was there for a very important mission – to collect Native Drum & Dance music from the annual Cama-i festival.

(Cama-i – pronounced chum-eye. A word meaning, “A Warm Hello”.)

Native Alaskan music is a very important part of KNOM’s daily programming. On my show alone you can hear several Native Songs from the like of Hooper Bay, St. Lawrence Island, Unalakleet and many more paired back to back with the rest of our musical catalog. I feel it is so important to feature Native songs in this way. At the end of the day, I hope a very special message comes across with these songs. I want people to know how important this music is, how much life and knowledge they hold. They should be treated with respect while simultaneously being enjoyed as any other kind of music even if it isn’t embraced by the masses and were never part of the charting music world. The vibrancy they hold can’t be measured on any sales chart.

By the end of the third day of the festival I had collected over 100 Native Drum and Dance songs ranging anywhere from 45 second pieces to 15 minute musical sets. As I write I am organizing and burning all of this music to cd so that it can be shared with Western Alaska for years to come. Just another awesome week as Music Director.